THE BURDEN OF CARING FOR PATIENTS WITH DEMENTIA UNDER QUARANTINE RESTRICTIONS

Abstract

The article presents factors affecting the mental health of caregivers of patients with dementia. The research was conducted in accordance with the principles of medical ethics and deontology, according to the Helsinki Declaration of the Medical Association. The study included 46 caregivers and 46 patients with dementia. The assessment was carried out using the following psychometric scales: the short form of the Mental Status Evaluation scale to assess the severity of dementia, the MFI-20 subjective scale to assess asthenia, the SASS self-assessment scale of social adaptation, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Caregiver Burden Scale to assess the burden on caregivers, and the PSM-25 questionnaire to determine the level of psychological stress. The obtained data were subjected to statistical analysis using IBM SPSS Statistics 26.0 software. The study identified factors that affect the mental health of caregivers, among which the severity of dementia in the patient, the duration of care, and the employment status of the caregiver were significant. The results of the study suggest that individuals with low levels of psychological stress had higher levels of social adaptation and were less likely to experience asthenia, anxiety, and depression. These findings should be taken into account when implementing psychotherapeutic and psychocorrective measures for individuals caring for patients with dementia to reduce levels of depression, anxiety, and burden of care.